Pentax: Upcoming Mirrorless DSLR 'Not out of the Question'

In an interview at this year's CES in Las Vegas, Pentax Product Manager Chris Pound indicated that Pentax developing a mirrorless DSLR in the near future is not out of the question. The higher end market segment for mirrorless digital cameras has been rapidly growing since Panasonic and Olympus first introduced their micro four-thirds format in 2008.

Pound went on to state that he is personally "very interested in such a product", and that whether Pentax decided to enter the mirrorless market, unsurprisingly, would depend on whether the product made financial sense. Pound was optimistic about the future for Pentax, sighting their recent success with their flagship DSLR, the K-5.

Electronics giants Samsung and Sony also entered the mirrorless market in the past year. Samsung with their popular NX10, and Sony with two models - the NEX-3 and NEX-5. The two companies that sit atop the DSLR market, Nikon and Canon, have yet to indicate that they will enter the mirrorless DSLR market.

There have been rumors circulating for some time that Nikon is actively developing a mirrorless DSLR that they will release sometime in 2011. Canon, on the other hand, has stated publicly that they will -- for the time being -- continue to focus on mirrored DSLRs.